Friday, February 26. 2010

To experience life in ShaolinTo be better immersed in characterWith the intention of paying respect to ShaolinStaying for seven days in Shaolin Temple to practise Zen

Whether it is practising martial arts, meditating, filming, calligraphyTea appreciation, discussing Tao, doing business, or falling in loveThey are but a voyage of self-discovery, the process of illuminating, perfecting oneselfTo boost one's own confidence, calmly facing trials and tribulations in life

Friday, February 26. 2010

-- Kong Fu Man -- Kungfu Hero/Kong Fu Man, directed by Ning Ying and Yuen Cheung Yan, starring Tiger Chen, Jiang Meng Jie, Vanessa Branch, Andre McCoy, Tan Qiao, Lin Shen, etc. has wrapped up filming in late January. On his blog, Tiger Chen expresses his gratitude to all those involved for their hard work. He also reiterates that Kungfu Hero and Tai Chi Tiger are two separate and distinct works, though the latter is often mistaken as the previous incarnation of Kungfu Hero.
Continue reading "Having A Rollicking Good Time on Kong Fu Man"

Thursday, February 25. 2010

-- Shaolin --Here are some early mages of director Benny Chan and action director Corey Yuen, as well as cast members Andy Lau, Wu Jing, Xing Yu and Nicholas Tse rehearsing on the set of Shaolin in Hengdian, courtesy of Netease and Sina.

It appears that both Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse are warlords initially, while Wu Jing is originally a monk. Though this is likely to change drastically as the film progresses, with the former becoming monks while the latter turns into a treacherous warlord. Yu Hai, 68, is playing the Shaolin abbot, Wu Jing's mentor. Jackie Chan would soon be joining the production for his cameo as a Shaolin chef with concealed skills.

Thursday, February 25. 2010

Gillian Chung plays Eastern Wu's Sun Shang Xiang in Just Another Pandora's Box. She has 5, 6 scenes, lasting around 10 mintues in all. Her character sneaks into enemy camp to spy on them and saves Ronald Cheng, who transforms into Zhao Yun in his time travel, countless times, and ends up getting married to Ronald Cheng instead of Liu Bei. Pandora's Box opens on March 18, 2010.

Gillian Chung's other film, Fantastic Water Babes, also directed by Jeffrey Lau, is tentatively set for release in June 2010. The film is about Gillian Chung training extra hard under swimming coach Alex Fong Lik Sun to realise her dreams, and developing feelings for him. Sina

Tuesday, February 23. 2010

-- Tai Chi --Stephen Chow has not done any films since 2008. While he was invited to play Kato in Hollywood film, they soon parted ways due to creative differences. And now, it seems that Stephen Chow is ready to make another venture into Hollywood with 《太极》 Tai Chi (tentative) that he would be directing and starring in. Budgeted at US$60m, the film, co-produced by China Film and an independent US studio, also stars Jack Black and Anne Hathaway.

Based loosely on Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon, Stephen Chow plays a Chinese immigrant living in Chinatown, US, working as a dishwasher. The area is overrun by triads, who oppress the Chinese, such as collecting protection fees from the restaurant Stephen Chow is working at. Stephen Chow, who is actually a Tai Chi master living in anonymity, is compelled to set things right and teach the triad members a lesson they'll never forget. The Chinese can finally live in peace and they all come to seek tutelage under Stephen Chow, beseeching him to set up a martial arts school and propagate Tai Chi.

Reportedly, Stephen Chow has hired a teacher to teach him English as the entire film is in English, and also to facilitate communications with Western actors. However, when asked about the project, Stephen Chow declines comment, "At this stage, I have nothing to say on this."

Tai Chi is slated for production in June. While there was some casting news on King of Comedy 2, Stephen Chow may not necessarily be involved directly in the film. Stephen Chow would also be producing Hail the Judge remake later this year. Information Times

Tuesday, February 23. 2010

-- Martial Spirit --《武动青春》 Martial Spirit, Kou Zhan Wen's directorial debut produced by Paco Wong, is opening in China on March 12. A 2nd trailer can be found on Sina.

Owodog from a rich family is obsessed with kungfu, and being proud and arrogant, often goes around challenging skilful opponents.

Zhang Chi is an orphan who grows up in a martial arts centre, but putting tons of kungfu formulae in his head turns him into a kungfu nut.

The frivolous Da Zhang Wei is but an empty vessel boasting of his wushu exploits and pursuits, yet never putting in any serious effort, only thinking of winning the hand of Theresa Fu from a martial arts centre.

Because of wushu, the three youths from different backgrounds come together, enacting one comic opera after another.

Tuesday, February 23. 2010

-- Legend of Chen Zhen --In an interview with The Bund, Donnie Yen describes the rendition of his role in Legend of Chen Zhen as an enhanced version of Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen, "The Chen Zhen that I'm portraying will carry traces of Bruce Lee's shadows, his sentiments, his deportment. I hope to pay tribute to him. At the same time, I'd also incorporate my own ideals, and fighting styles, you can say that this is Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen completely re-imagined, and elevated.

"That I also served as the martial arts director for Legend of Chen Zhen was because I'm more familiar with how Bruce Lee fought. Moreover, personally, I'm partial to Bruce Lee. It's very trying being a martial arts director, I didn't want to do it, but when many producers look for me, all of them want me to action direct, apart from acting.

"In today's market, there are only 2, 3 martial arts choreographers with real abilities, but they're all very busy. And, I, having a predilection for innovations, am game to try out bold, new things, it's even harder to look for someone like this. It's double the workload when you also work as the martial arts director, and you don't get a very high pay for it, certainly much less than being an actor, but for the sake of the film's final result, I would still take up the job."

Legend of Chen Zhen, starring Donnie Yen, Anthony Wong, Ryu Kohata, Chen Jia Jia, Shi Feng, Shu Qi, Huo Si Yan, has wrapped up filming in early February. Recently, CCTV aired an early preview footage from the film that has been uploaded and posted on Baidu forum.

Monday, February 8. 2010

Trailer to Just Another Pandora's Box has recently been made available on Youtube

Just Another Pandora's Box is director Jeffrey Lau's spoof on Red Cliff, with many characters from numerous other films being brought through time using the Pandora's Box to the Three Kingdoms period and turning everything topsy-turvy. Apart from the main cast Ronald Cheng and Sun Li, it features cameos by over 50 stars, including Yuen Biao, Athena Chu, Ada Choi, Yuen Cheung Yan, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, Xing Yu, Wu Jing, Alex Fong, Fan Siu Wong, Gillian Chung, Huang Yi, Lam Tse Chung, and more..

Saturday, February 6. 2010

The Legend is Born: Ip Man trailer, with really awesome intricate, blazingly-quick Wing Chun exchanges between Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, To Yu Hang, Fan Siu Wong and Ip Chun, courtesy of action director Leung Siu Hung, has just been posted to Youtube. And it appears that martial arts philosophy plays quite a big part in the film, based on the conversations in the film.

The production recently celebrated the completion of the film, attended by the main cast To Yu Hang, Yuen Biao, Huang Yi, Bernice Liu, Rose Chan, Xu Jiao, Lam Suet and Ma Sai, as well as Gold Typhoon's Paco Wong.

Saturday, February 6. 2010

-- True Legend -- There are only two scenes - Thousand-Buddha Cliff and Thousand-Snake Cavern - in True Legend which are in 3D, clocking around 20 minutes in all. Both use different 3D-technologies and finale between Zhao Wen Zhuo and Andy On in the Thousand-Snake Cavern is significantly better, with clearer, more palpable images and 3D effects, as well as better fighting.

The Thousand-Buddha Cliff is an imagined place which sees Beggar Su (Zhao Wen Zhuo) raising his martial arts skills under the guidance of Whitebeard (Gordon Liu) and through his sparring with Lord of Martial Arts. It's rather jarring watching this scene as the audience have to keep putting on and removing the 3D lenses as it's interrupted occasionally by other scenes, which are in 2D.

But why is the film not in full 3D? Director Yuen Wo Ping explains, "Producing a 3D film consumes lots of human resources as well as material resources. It already took over 100 digital artists slogging day and night for over half a year to create these two 3D fight scenes. Initially, I had hoped to make this a full 3D film, but the budget was really astronomical, requiring US$200m to 300m, and the post-production would take 5 years. So, I picked the two most important action scenes to be in 3D."

Alternatively, Yuen Wo Ping might take a leaf out of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' book, which was shot in 2D, but converted to 3D at US$5m per film or US$10m for both parts.

The script, written by Du Zhi Lang, follows the tried and tested forumla typical of kungfu films, and is said to bear close resemblance to Fearless that she also wrote: From Su Can's arrogant beginning to being badly beaten, demoralised and thrown into Yellow River, through his healing in a paradise-like place and elevation of his level of martial arts, to his return to fight the villain plus foreigner challengers. Still, Yuen Wo Ping finds the script to be pretty good, as Beggar Su's emotions are handled very well, and it has great character development, like how Beggar Su gradually becomes a great master. Netease, Sina

Saturday, February 6. 2010

Trailer to director Dante Lam's crime thriller Fire of Conscience, opening on April 1, 210, is now up on Media Asia.

Richie Ren, a senior narcotics officer, is the role model with promising future. He solves cases quickly and efficiently, but often through unscrupulous means.

At the other end of the spectrum is cop Leon Lai, who tends to takes the law into his own hands, and has violent inclinations towards the criminals. Yet, beneath the tough facade is someone who is sentimental, loyal and just. Both are born in the year of Dragon.

Michelle Ye works under Leon Lai, is determined and aspiring, and shows no fear in face shower of bullets. She treats her colleagues as family, and is carrying a torch for Leon Lai.

In a traffic accident involving deaths of his subordinates and missing important documents, Richie Ren looks up district officer Leon Lai to help him retrieve the lost documents. Coincidentally. Leon Lai and his team are working on a hooker murder, believed to be linked to arms trafficking, which has a Mainland explosives maker Wang Bao Qiang implicated because of his shady friends.

Richie Ren offers his expertise in the murder case and Leon Lai is not aware of his hidden agenda. As Richie Ren's girlfriend was once a nightclub manager, it affects his promotion. So, he is planning something that will upend the entire police force, and is merely using an excuse to monitor their activities.